ORTEGA WANTS TO SEND POSITIVE MESSAGE TO U.S.,

C O N F I D E N T I A L PANAMA 002269 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL PM SUBJECT: ORTEGA WANTS TO SEND POSITIVE MESSAGE TO U.S., SAYS FM LEWIS Classified By: AMBASSADOR WILLIAM EATON FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega told Panamanian President Torrijos November 21 that he wants good relations with the United States. His visit to PANAMA sends a signal that Nicaragua can be a positive player in the region, FM Samuel Lewis Navarro told the Ambassador the same day. Panama stands ready to be a moderating force and offer Ortega a counterweight to the influence of other leaders in the region, added Lewis. END SUMMARY. MAKING AMENDS WITH THE U.S.? -------------- ¶2. (C) In his two-hour meeting with President Torrijos, Ortega emphasized his desire to have good relations with the United States, said Lewis. Ortega does not want to create divisions in the region and wants to send a pragmatic and reconciliatory message, he added. For example, Ortega said he will not reject CAFTA, as he does not want to be a dividing force in the region. However, signing on to CAFTA does not preclude Nicaragua's accession to other trade agreements, possibly with the EU or ALBA. NICARAGUA WANTS TO BE A REGIONAL PLAYER -------------- ¶3. (C) Ortega's choice of PANAMA as his first international visit since his election as president is significant, said Lewis, because some advisors had urged Ortega to visit Venezuela or Cuba as a first destination. (Note: These "advisors" may be Venezuela and Cuba themselves. End note.) That Ortega opted for Panama, as recommended by another set of advisors, shows moderation and that Central America is his priority, said Lewis. ¶4. (C) PANAMA wants to help Ortega play a moderate and conciliatory role in the region. PANAMA will do whatever it can to create space for Ortega to maneuver in a constructive way through the region, said Lewis. As part of such support, the GOP sent President Torrijos's presidential airplane to bring Ortega to PANAMA and take him to his next stops, Guatemala and El Salvador. Lewis said Venezuela had offered Ortega an airplane, and Panama's counteroffer was partly to demonstrate that Nicaragua has other friends in the region. COMMENT -------------- ¶5. (C) Given the ruling PRD's (Revolutionary Democratic Party) historical relationship with Ortega and the Sandinistas, it is not surprising that the GOP is now reaching out to Nicaragua and helping to shore up its regional presence. (Note: More on the Panama-Nicaragua link to be reported septel. End note.) Torrijos may also be seeking to keep the peace in the region, which is in Panama's interest, and to bolster Torrijos's leftist credentials. END COMMENT. EATON